Shades of Red

Our kitchen is decorated in red and black right now. So when we moved in and I started finding some of my clearance treasures from Hobby Lobby, I decided they needed a coat of paint. I got this cute thing for less than 3 bucks. Don't miss out on their clearance sales in January/February. They go crazy getting rid of fantastic home decor stuff. It will eventually be on 90% off. Not bad!!Then I also picked up these lovelies from the Dollar store. Oh, I love dollar store frames with some pizazz.
I added some extra fabric I had and an Eiffel Tower decal in vinyl that I used my Cricut to cut out. SUPER easy!!Put it all together once again....I love how it turned out and my red basket I already had with some bright yellow bananas or oranges, adds just a punch of color that makes me smile every time I see it.

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Redo: TV Stand

Can I just tell you how much I struggle with TV cabinets? I don't want it to take over the room but I don't really want it to be ugly. Ever since the hubs and I got married (whew 7 years ago....) we have had this ugly TV stand. It was one of those first purchases as in fake wood bought from like Shopko or something for way under $100. So at the time, the price was right. Seriously, not too cute in color but 7 years ago it wasn't bad. Then the doors got broken when we moved. And we had it jimmy rigged for about 5 years. Pretty bad huh?! I finally decided we were not moving it again this time. But then it came with us yet again. Since it is "free" I have just moved it with us every time. But one of these days, when we are settled I am definitely getting something different. But for now, here is the makeover: A coat or two of Kilz Primer. This is a must if you want anything to stick to that glossy fake wood stuff. Then a bit of a do-it-yourself hand sand job. Some black spray paint...well a few cans actually. (Oh, and as if anything else would be on our TV but baseball. I think it is even the Braves playing. The hubs' favorite team of all time.) And last but not least, some new knobs. I think the whole redo cost me about $15-20. But its well worth it. I don't cringe when I see it. I love it! So for at least another year, it is sticking with me.

Spray paint just has the ability to change the whole look of something. Have you whipped out a can lately?

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Fake Window

This was previously posted on All Thingz Related for a blog swap but I am reposting it here for keepsake purposes.

Here is a fun project that anyone can do. I apologize for the lack of pictures but seriously, this is the EASIEST project to do!
Buy a mirror and paint it the color of your choice (if it isn't already). I think this came from a yard sale for like $1. Now get trim pieces (pine or whatever is cheap) and cut one long piece to go vertically on your mirror. You can use any Elmer's, Gorilla glue, or wood glue to attach it to your mirror. Next, cut two smaller pieces to fit in on either side to form the cross. This will make it appear to be a 4 paned window. Glue those pieces down. Now screw or nail it up to any spot you desire...inside or out.Here is ours. It is on the outside of a shed. It adds just the right touch to make it look a little homier. I think all it needs now is a planter box below it with flowers.

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Spray Painting Issues

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A few of you might have seen my plea for help on how to solve this problem:
I don't know if any of you have had this same issue. But I think I figured out a few possible causes. One of which is whether or not the item has dust or other particles on it. So remember if you sand or if your item is old or dusty, that you probably should clean it off. If there is some wax/oil/dust particles, it can react with the paint. You can clean it with mineral spirits or I think I may have just used rubbing alcohol one time and that worked well.

Also, if you live in a humid climate, the more 'wet' it is in the air, the more likely it is for the spray paint to bubble up. So try and paint when there is less moisture. Or if you haven't allowed it to dry completely after cleaning it, this could cause the same issue. You can use a tack cloth to clean your item up and help remove moisture prior to painting as well.

This can also happen if you are rushing...oh, this is SO me! Sometimes applying that second coat too quickly causes the bubbling with the first coat. This can also happen by spraying too close, because it usually means you are getting a thicker, wetter coat than you really need/want.

So how to solve the problem??

• Clean your items well with mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol
• Use a tack cloth.
• Don't spray paint when it is too humid or your item is too wet.
• Don't rush! Leave plenty of time in between coats.
• Spray at the recommended range. NOT too close!
• To remove bubbling/cracking, let the paint dry completely. Then use your sandpaper and be sure to sand the entire area down and then some. Then clean and let dry. Spray paint.
  

And just so you can see what I was working on....
I look forward to finishing it today (as long as the weather is good to me!). I have it sanded and ready for that last coat. And hopefully no more bubbling!! Stay tuned!

Linked up at:
Skip to My Lou, The Girl Creative, Making the World Cuter

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Help!!

Okay, so first things first...what do you think of the new blog look??

Now for your help. I was going to share a lovely craft with you today. One I have been dying to finish for a few weeks. But I noticed paint got chipped off so I went to respray that small section. (I think my rambunctious 3 year old was the culprit!) But as I sprayed, it started bubbling and it spread. So I sanded it down a bit (probably not as good as I should have because I was also working on another craft at the same time.) But then when I sprayed it again, it bubbled even further. Now it is a large spot that needs to be recovered. But I am afraid it will just keep bubbling! I know this happened before but I can't remember what I did to get it to stop. So I put it to you....What do you do when this happens to you? Puh-lease tell me I am not the only one!!

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